ANOTHER ROUND

Seeds fall in record numbers, but Bouchard and Shapovalov each win

While top names were falling around her, Canada’s Eugenie Bouchard was celebrating small victories, like a trip to the second round at the All England Club.

LONDON— These are not the sorts of matches Maria Sharapova is supposed to lose, letting lead after lead slip away Tuesday against a qualifier ranked 132nd — and in the first round of Wimbledon, no less.

The initial 48 hours of the tournament have seen a total of seven top-10 men’s and women’s seeds departed in the opening round, more than in any previous year in the professional era’s half-century.

Two-time champion and No. 8 seed Petra Kvitova, who was sent home by Aliaksandra Sasnovich of Belarus 6-4, 4-6, 6-0 a few hours before Sharapova folded against Vitalia Diatchenko in a 6-7 (3), 7-6 (3), 6-4 loss.

“Sometimes,” Sharapova said, “you put yourself in a better or winning position, and you don’t finish.”

Canadians Eugenie Bouchard and Denis Shapovalov advanced to the second round, where they will join Milos Raonic.

Bouchard beat British wild card Gabriella Taylor 6-0, 4-6, 6-3 in a first-round women’s match, while Shapovalov, the No. 26 seed in the men’s draw, defeated Jeremy Chardy of France 6-3, 3-6, 7-5, 6-4.

A finalist at Wimbledon in 2014, Bouchard was forced into the qualification draw this year after seeing her ranking tumble to No. 191 before the tournament.

The 24-year-old from Westmount, Que., is now ranked 188th after winning three qualifying matches last week. Taylor is No. 180.

“I feel a lot more comfortable on the court,” Bouchard said. “I feel a little bit more like myself. You know, I have always deep down had the belief, and it’s about, in the tough moments of the match, keeping that belief. I have that more and more now. Just trying to keep progressing.”

Shapovalov, of Richmind Hill, beat one of the hottest players on the ATP Tour in the 46thranked Chardy. In his last three tournaments, Chardy won one title, reached a final and advanced to the semifinals.

The19-year-old Shapovalov, of Richmond Hill, came into Wimbledon having lost three of his past four matches. It was his first win at Wimbledon after losing his debut at the grasscourt Grand Slam last year.